“All right. We will take Moreau today. I would like to take Lady Granger in today as well, but I will honor your request not to make a scene here. I will bring the Grangers in for questioning when they arrive back in London. It’ll be tricky business with him being a peer. I’ll need the King’s permission. I think we have enough to put the screws on Moreau and find out to whom he is passing his information. We need his French contact to close this loop of intelligence gathering successfully.”
Jack nodded. A knock sounded at the door, and Jones entered with a footman carrying a tea tray.
“Jones, could you tell me where Count Moreau is currently?” Jack asked.
“I am afraid, sir, that he has left the party,” Jones replied.
Jack jumped to his feet. “What?”
“Yes, sir. He left this morning. He said he had received distressing news and had to leave immediately. He gave me a note of apology to give to your mother.”
Damn it. He had let the bastard sneak away.
“What about his friend? Hollister? Did he travel with him?” Jack asked.
“No, sir. I believe Lord Hollister is still at breakfast. He is not an early riser.”
“Thank you, Jones.” Jones bowed, and he and the footman left the room.
“Damn, I am sorry you wasted your journey up here, Winters. I can’t believe I let him slip through my fingers.” Jack ran a hand through his hair. But Adam remained calm.
“Don’t worry. I doubt Moreau is going underground. You said he planned to meet with Lady Granger in London, which means he has to maintain his persona as the Count. We will put a man on his house there to watch for his return. I’ll go out and tell my men what’s happened.”
“Tell them they are welcome to come in and join us for lunch before you all travel back.”
Andrew entered the study with Tyler, his hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Tell Uncle Jack what you told me,” he encouraged. The child was red-faced and out of breath.
“What is it, Tyler?” Jack smiled down at him.
“Uncle Jack, its Miss Vivian. Those bad men took her!”
“What?” Jack knelt in front of Tyler. Panic spread like ice inside his chest.
“I was in Coco’s stall, talking to her like you said I should. And I heard Miss Vivian calling out your name. Then she passed by down the aisle, and I heard a man say someone had been looking for her for a long time. Then the bad guys grabbed her, and she yelled out. I looked out through the slats and saw them pick her up and carry her out the back to a carriage. And that’s when I ran back to find Papa.” Tyler took in an enormous breath. “Should I have tried to rescue her?” He looked imploringly up at his papa.
Andrew shook his head. “No, Tyler, you did just the right thing running to get help.”
A sick sense of dread coated the inside of his mouth. “Tyler, how long ago was this?”
Tyler shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno. I came to find Papa, but it took a bit to find him. Finally found him in the drawing room.”
Jack looked up at Andrew.
“My guess is within the last half hour at most,” Andrew replied.
“Tyler, can you remember anything at all about the two bad guys?” Jack asked.
“Well, one had no hair on his head and a big bushy beard. He was dressed strangely, no coat or waistcoat, just a shirt and breeches. The other man was dressed properly, brown hair and he had a funny accent.”
“Moreau, perhaps?” Winters interjected.
Jack stood up and paced. “Yes, Moreau might be desperate enough for something like this. With his lost information, maybe he thought to ransom Vivian? But why her?”
Andrew leaned down to talk with Tyler. “Tyler, you did absolutely the right thing by coming to get help. We will do our best to get Miss Vivian back safely. Can you go with Jones now, back up to the nursery? Be a good boy.” He kissed him and handed him off to Jones, who waited outside the door.
Jack strode to the window, his emotions churning. This was his fault. He had invited intrigue into this house. Now that bastard had his hands on Vivian. He should have said no and let Winters put someone else on Moreau. Damn! Where could Moreau be taking her?
